Two days after a municipal corporation excavation drive damaged a critical 66 KV underground power cable near College Road, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is still battling to restore the system completely, with water accumulation at the repair site emerging as the biggest hurdle in carrying out restoration work.The restoration exercise is scheduled to be carried out from 7 am to 9 pm on Friday, subject to site conditions. (HT File)The damaged cable had triggered a major power disruption on Wednesday, affecting the Fountain Chowk 66 KV grid and leaving several key localities, government offices, and official residences without electricity for hours. While PSPCL managed to restore supply through alternative arrangements, permanent repairs to the underground transmission network are yet to be completed.Officials said repair work, initially expected to begin after water was drained from the excavation site, suffered a setback on Thursday morning when the pit filled up again. According to engineers, the cable jointing and restoration process cannot begin until the affected stretch is completely dry.The underground cable was damaged on Wednesday when an MC team was carrying out excavation work to repair a water leakage near College Road in Civil Lines. The incident disrupted power supply to areas linked to the Fountain Chowk grid, including parts of Civil Lines, Mall Road, and several important government establishments.PSPCL officials said a planned shutdown will now be required to undertake repairs. The restoration exercise is scheduled to be carried out from 7 am to 9 pm on Friday, subject to site conditions.“The cable repair process requires a completely dry working area. Water accumulation inside the pit is currently the biggest challenge. We have requested the MC to ensure that the site is dewatered so that repair work can begin without further delay,” a PSPCL official said.The corporation has again approached the civic body to remove water from the excavation site. Engineers warned that any delay in drying the pit could affect the repair schedule and prolong dependence on temporary power arrangements.Meanwhile, PSPCL teams remained deployed across the affected network despite the holiday, working to maintain an uninterrupted electricity supply through alternative sources. Officials said power is presently being routed through backup arrangements to minimise inconvenience to consumers until the damaged infrastructure is restored.Technical experts from Delhi have also arrived in Ludhiana to assist in the specialised repair work. Officials said the damaged section involves high-capacity underground transmission infrastructure and requires expert handling.Additional superintending engineer, city west, Sukhvir Singh, said the department was making every effort to ensure that consumers face minimum disruption.“Electricity supply is currently being managed through alternative sources. However, the damaged cable can only be repaired after the pit is completely dry. Our priority is to complete the restoration work at the earliest and normalise the system,” he said.Officials said consumers may experience power interruptions in some areas during the scheduled repair work on Friday, though efforts are being made to keep disruptions to a minimum.The incident has once again highlighted concerns over coordination between civic agencies and utility providers during excavation work in areas carrying critical underground infrastructure. PSPCL has already initiated action against the MC and is assessing the financial losses caused by the damage.